How I got rid of those pesky barn swallows

[Marty]

Ok first I am not a bird hater by any means, but I do not want these birds nesting in my barn! The poop all over the place, on the hay, in the stalls, on my horses, in their buckets, all over the stalls where I end up having to scrape it off the boards constantly with a putty knife.

I could almost over look that extra maintenance, but they love to build nests up in my light fixtures and I do not want a barn fire! The boys used to just re-home the nests but now they aren't around to do that for me so something needed to be done.

In the past I used to hang up pie plates and old CD's and that distracted them for a while. I also have one of those barn owls I set in the rafters but they got "wise" to him. Last year, nothing worked at all and I had a mess on my hands.

This year a light bulb went off in my brain! This is such a no-brainer I don't know why I didn't figure this out before: Its so simple. Lock them out!

All I had to do was to shut the barn door! It was that easy. I kept track of approximately what time they come because they seem to be on a schedule between certain hours mid-morning only.

Now I don't like to keep my barn doors shut and they only seem to come in from the back direction so I closed the back doors. Then I decided if I wanted the back door open, to cut an old tarp in shreds, hang it from the top of the door way on a couple of nails so I could put it up and take it down easily, and fix it so it would hang down the doorway only about half way In essence, I've locked them out because they wouldn't come near the tarp or try to fly through it or under it.

Well lucky me, I haven't had a barn swallow here now in 5 days and no more barn door closed and no more tarp hanging. YAY!

This has been a public service announcement!

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

they pooped ON your horses? ewww!

we have two cats that keep them away.

 

[Miniv]

Our barn swallows build nests in the eaves of our garage and totally leave the barn alone. I think there's too much competition. Instead we have a problem with starling and sparrow nests. Our problem is that we can't just close the barn door because of the design. There is always an open area where the little beggers can flying into.

It's getting to a point where Larry has to be the bad guy and take a long handled rake - or whatever, and knock down what nests he can reach! Hate doing it, but things are really getting out of hand.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We've tried most everything in the past to keep them out. This year we are so dry they have no mud. No mud, no swallows.

I wonder if it will affect the mud dauber wasps??

 

[Charlotte]

Marty, you're a genius. And I know from living in northern IL what a MESS that can be!

We don't have a problem with birds in the barn, but fly catchers, real cute little birds, building on the front of our house. This is the only picture I could find of the rocks on our house and these birds make a total mess with their nests and poo.

Poo driping down the walls, on the sidewalks (which then gets tracked in the house) and nests and poo even on the light fixtures! What a mess.

I've been thinking about trying one of those battery fly sprayers that gives a spray every 15 minutes. I wonder if that would scare them away. I use them in my run in sheds and they really help with flies and mosquitoes.

Charlotte

 

[Genie]

We have barn swallows, but not too many that they are bothersome.

I understnd they catch 100's of mosquitos every day so I'll take the barn swallows and avoid the west nile carriers

We have cats in the barn too so possibly the barn swallows are kept to a minimum as the cats patrol the beams in the barn.

I would say we have 4 or 5 nests every year and we welcome them.

 

[weebiscuit]

This year a light bulb went off in my brain! This is such a no-brainer I don't know why I didn't figure this out before: Its so simple. Lock them out!

All I had to do was to shut the barn door! It was that easy. I kept track of approximately what time they come because they seem to be on a schedule between certain hours mid-morning only.

Now I don't like to keep my barn doors shut and they only seem to come in from the back direction so I closed the back doors. Then I decided if I wanted the back door open, to cut an old tarp in shreds, hang it from the top of the door way on a couple of nails so I could put it up and take it down easily, and fix it so it would hang down the doorway only about half way In essence, I've locked them out because they wouldn't come near the tarp or try to fly through it or under it.

Well lucky me, I haven't had a barn swallow here now in 5 days and no more barn door closed and no more tarp hanging. YAY!

This has been a public service announcement!

Oh Marty, I'm sitting here with my sides splitting with laughter! And that's because we had barn swallows ONE year, and after they all left the nest we just started keeping the barn doors shut! LOL!

 

[bevann]

I have an old dairy barn converted for the Minis and barn swallows are a major problem here.Several of my horses and 1 grandson have gotten lice from them.EUUUW.We also have major bird problems with starlings, grackles and other kinds building nests under the hood of anything that runs.Before we use a tractor, van, truck or anything else we have to lift the hhod and clean out the nests.I wish I could hire them mto work, but I really hate birds.I'm always then one that gets pooped on even in my hair.NASTY

 

[bannerminis]

I love birds and swallows but dont want them in my stable as yes they poop everywhere including all over the ground, minis and yes I even had a few poop bombs land in my hair

I have put garden net over the top half of the stable door and still the little beggers used to try to get in and get caught up in the net. So I took to closing the top half during the day and open at night once the sun went down.

Havent seen any swallows yet but I imagine they are not far away.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

It's funny, but I can't remember too many nests in our barns.

Of course, the cats sit in the rafters, so that could be a deterrant...

 

[Sue_C.]

After the fist year they nested in the barn, I just put up several nesting boxes on the outside, and they went right to them. Because the boxes are away from the sides of the barn, the poop just lands on the ground, and is easily cleaned up...no biggie. I love to see "my" swallows coming back every year, and even if they did poop in my barn, I would rather that than more skeeters.